English Standard Version
Romans 7:18
18For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.
Romans 7:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
- New International Version (NIV)For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.
- New Living Translation (NLT)And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t.
Context of Romans 7:18
16Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.
Read all of Romans 7Romans 7:18 word by word
οἶδα γὰρ ὅτι οὐκ οἰκεῖ ἐν ἐμοί, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστιν ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου, ἀγαθόν· τὸ γὰρ θέλειν παράκειταί μοι, τὸ δὲ κατεργάζεσθαι τὸ καλὸν οὐχRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- Forγάρgar · forG1063
- I knowεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
- thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- meἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- thatοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- fleshσάρξsarx · fleshG4561
- dwellethοἰκέωoikeō · to dwellG3611
- noοὐou · noG3756
- good thingἀγαθόςagathos · goodG18
- to willθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
- is presentπαράκειμαιparakeimai · be presentG3873
- butδέde · thenG1161
- to performκατεργάζομαιkatergazomai · to workout/produceG2716
- that which is goodκαλόςkalos · goodG2570
- I findεὑρίσκωheuriskō · to find/meetG2147
Cross-references for Romans 7:18
- Genesis 6:5The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
- Genesis 8:21And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, "I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done.
- Job 14:4Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? There is not one.
- Job 15:14What is man, that he can be pure? Or he who is born of a woman, that he can be righteous?
- Job 25:4How then can man be in the right before God? How can he who is born of woman be pure?
- Psalms 51:5Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.
- Isaiah 64:6We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
- Matthew 15:19For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.
- Mark 7:21For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,
- Luke 11:13If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
- Ephesians 2:1And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
- 1 Peter 4:2so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.
- Romans 7:5For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death.
- Romans 8:3For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,
- Romans 13:14But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
- John 3:6That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Commentaries on Romans 7:18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18For I know that in me, etc. - I have learned by experience that in an unregenerate man there is no good. There is no principle by which the soul can be brought into the light; no principle by which it can be restored to purity: fleshly appetites alone prevail; and the brute runs away with the man. For to will is present with me - Though the whole soul has suffered indescribably by the Fall, yet there are some faculties that appear to have suffered less…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18For I know - This is designed as an illustration of what he had just said, that sin dwelt in him. That is, in my flesh - In my unrenewed nature; in my propensities and inclinations before conversion. Does not this qualifying expression show that in this discussion he was speaking of himself as a renewed man? Hence, he is careful to imply that there was at that time in him something that was right or acceptable with God, but that that did not pertain to…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-22Verses 18-22 The more pure and holy the heart is, it will have the more quick feeling as to the sin that remains in it. The believer sees more of the beauty of holiness and the excellence of the law. His earnest desires to obey, increase as he grows in grace. But the whole good on which his will is fully bent, he does not do; sin ever springing up in him, through remaining corruption, he often does evil, though against the fixed determination of his will…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18in my flesh: See study note on 6:19. This phrase may refer to Paul’s former life before God redeemed him. It may also refer to a part of Paul that is still connected to this world and resists God’s will.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. For, &c.--better, "For I know that there dwelleth not in me, that is in my flesh, any good." for to will--"desire." is present with me; but how to perform that which is good--the supplement "how," in our version, weakens the statement. I find not--Here, again, we have the double self of the renewed man; "In me dwelleth no good; but this corrupt self is not my true self; it is but sin dwelling in my real self, as a renewed man."Read the comment
Topics related to Romans 7:18
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Romans 7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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